Morton, William Thomas Green (1819-1868), an American dentist, made the first public demonstration of ether in 1846. Crawford W. Long used ether during surgery in 1842, but he did not publish his discovery until 1849 (see Long, Crawford W. ).
Morton first used ether in a tooth extraction at the suggestion of Charles T. Jackson, a professor of chemistry at Harvard University. He used it again in 1846 in an operation performed by John C. Warren at the Massachusetts General Hospital. This public demonstration marked a turning point in the acceptance of anesthesia by the medical community. The method spread rapidly to Britain, France, and other countries.
In 1850, the French Academy of Science awarded the Montyon prize of 5,000 francs jointly to Jackson and Morton. Both men claimed sole credit for the discovery, and Morton refused to share the prize. A bitter quarrel and lawsuits followed, and Morton was ruined financially. The U.S. Congress set up a committee to examine the rival claims, but it could not reach a decision. Morton was born in Charlton, Mass.
